First off, wanna give a shout-out to Elphaba'sGirl and Ultimate Queen Of Cliffies for the amazing reviews. I didn't think anyone would actually look at my story, let alone like it only from the first chapter so far, so please know that I appreciate it SO much. Thanks to the both of you. X3

The forest seemed unforgiving that day.

Fiyero had gathered the Gale Fore outside of the woods, and worked out a plan—some men would be on simple lookout, and notify if they saw her, and just keep walking. Some men would be waiting in ambush, and the rest would merely try chasing her. It seemed like a good idea at the time to most of them, and they entered the woods determined to catch the Wicked Witch of the West once and for all. It only went disastrous from there. One guard got injured after falling down a hill, getting cut and bruised by the roots and sticks that lines the slope, and had to have another guard escort the wounded man home. Fiyero wanted to note that his injures looked very minor, although he reasoned that it still might have been good to take him out of the search party.

Another group had made a successful ambush… on a pack of bears, and resulted in some various scratches and more of the members leaving.

There was also the men that had to head home because it was getting late, and their families needed them, or the men that just wanted to head back because they figured that after four hours of searching the woods with not even a sign of her presence, she wasn't there. Fiyero granted them permission to leave, figuring they must have had good reasons. But as the minutes dragged into hours, the Captain of the Guard assumed that he was just about the only one left looking.

Up until he figured out he was just lost.

Fiyero was furious with himself, he had memorized every turn he took, repeating his paths in his heads, counting every step he took. Yet everything started looking the same, and soon the blue-eyed male found it impossible to keep track, and when he tried to turn back, he had forgotten exactly how he got in.

For Oz's sake, where was the luck today?

He wasn't even sure how long he had wandered— he only knew that the sun was starting to set. Maybe if he went in the opposite direction of the sun, he'd wind up east in Munchkinland. Then again, that was miles away from the Emerald City, and it was would take him a day or two in order to get back. "It's better than getting stuck here all night," he reasoned.

It took him another hour of walking towards the east before his legs got sore, and he stopped under a tall tree to sit for a moment. He wondered, was Glinda freaking out? Oh Oz, if he wasn't back before dark she would surely tear him up. Stab him with her heels, maybe. Or poke his eye out with mascara. Or maybe even—

He heard a rustle from up above him, in the greenery of the treetop, as he looked up, trying to spot what it was. Maybe just a squirrel? Or a bird, he thought.

But when a slight feminine shriek let loose as the tree branch cracked, sending a figure falling to the ground, Fiyero's eyes widened in concern.

"Are you okay, miss?"

The girl let out a nervous chuckle, turning her head away, her inky black hair cascading like a curtain over her face. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." She got up to leave, but Fiyero grabbed her arm. She had flinched as he asked, "Are you injured?"

"No."

She tried to pull away.

His eyes flickered with confusion, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course. Sorry, but I must be on my way."

"Where to?"

"Um…. to visit my sister in Munchkinland?" Her voice faltered slightly, causing Fiyero to raise a brow. "Well, I'm headed there too. Do you mind if I accompany you?"

"Actually, yes, I do mind."

"Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions," she sneered, tilting her head to hide her face. Fiyero began to get suspicious, as he turned her to face him, "Okay, what are you—,"

He paused for a moment, staring at the girl. She had long hair, very long, a few inches past her hips in fact. Her eyes were a chocolate brown, big and bright, with a small gleam in them. Long lashes, thin lips, and the most exotic…

… green skin.